Small actions can have big consequences

By Richard Halloran

He said priority is given to “widely attended, multinational events ... as opposed to visiting countries individually” and costs are held down by curtailing US speaking engagements and limiting the number of people traveling.

For the marines in the Pacific, Lieutenant Colonel Brad Bartelt said: “We have not currently reduced the travel schedule” of the Pacific commander, Lieutenant General Terry Robling. However, the spokesman added that budget items are being evaluated as the marines manage pending budget impacts.

On the larger issue of the US security posture in this region, Locklear sought to inject caution into his testimony in Washington.

“For the next century,” he said, “for our children and our grandchildren, we have to get it right in the Asia-Pacific.”